Superconducting tunneling circuits for computer applications

Memory and logic circuits constructed with superconducting switching devices based on electron tunneling between superconductors (1) and Josephson effects (2) can potentially surpass semiconductors in very high performance operation. The devices can readily be switched in less than 100 psec while dissipating as little as 1μW power per device. These characteristics, along with the possibility of using virtually lossless superconducting striplines for interconnection should permit high circuit densities, small dimensions and short intercircuit connections, which are pre-requisites for high performance operation of logic and memory networks.